A recent inquest into the death of Timothy De Boos has highlighted a critical shortage of mental health beds, with the coroner stating that the 40-year-old’s death could have been prevented if he had been admitted to a mental health unit in February 2024.
De Boos, from Ipswich, was experiencing a mental health crisis when he was assessed by an NHS team on February 2. Despite his long history of mental health struggles, including a schizophrenia diagnosis in 2004, the team decided he did not need inpatient care. He died four days later.
Suffolk’s senior coroner, Nigel Parsley, who investigated the case, noted in his prevention of future deaths report that the persistent lack of available mental health unit beds played a central role in De Boos’ tragic death. Parsley criticized the system, stating that both the patient and his family, along with his mental health care coordinator, advocated for his admission during the crisis. However, the crisis resolution and home treatment team, which controls admissions, did not assess him until the following day. Upon evaluation, they determined that De Boos was no longer in crisis and declined to admit him.
“Had Tim been admitted to a mental health unit on 2 February 2024, his tragic death would not have occurred,” Parsley wrote in his report. He emphasized that five other individuals were already waiting for beds in the unit at the time, underscoring the strained capacity of mental health services.
The coroner also expressed concern that the views of the patient, his family, and an experienced mental health professional were not considered sufficient grounds for an admission. The report was forwarded to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT).
In response, a DHSC spokesperson offered condolences to De Boos’ family, acknowledging that it is “unacceptable” that many individuals do not receive timely mental health care. They highlighted ongoing efforts, including a £26m allocation in the Budget for new mental health crisis centres and the recruitment of 8,500 staff to reduce waiting times.
The issue of inadequate mental health facilities is not new. Parsley pointed out that the lack of beds had been cited in two previous reports, including the deaths of Nicola Rayner in 2023 and Piotr Kierzkowski in 2019, both of which were linked to unavailable mental health beds.
Anthony Deery, chief nurse at NSFT, responded by acknowledging the coroner’s findings and noted that while De Boos had been assessed as not requiring an inpatient bed, the trust was taking steps to address the ongoing shortage. Deery referenced the opening of the new Rivers Centre at Hellesdon Hospital in January, which will provide 15 additional beds for the region, and emphasized the trust’s ongoing improvements in community-based care and leadership structures.
The shortage of mental health beds remains a critical concern, with experts and officials calling for urgent action to address the issue and prevent further tragedies.
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